Fan Club Malfunction
by o0-TheMilkyBarKid-0o
Summary: Cheering and leering required, stalking and perversion optional.
1. Freaks

**Author's Notes:** Hello all! Welcome to my new venture into fan-fiction!

This will be a multi-chaptered fic containing adult themes and descriptions, and as you know, an Akihiko/Yukari pairing. Most of it is already written, so I'll be updating every Friday as I continue on with editing the shit out of the rest of it. Please visit my profile for more information and links to my tumblr where I update fic information and discuss character arcs (and post silly pictures).

But first, an opening!

* * *

Usually, Yukari didn't mind overhearing the quibbling of adolescent girls; between the arguments about which girl said _what_ and in _what tone_, or what store had the best sale, or which foundation gave the best overall coverage without sacrificing price...

Girls were _girls_, and she was totally one of them; gossipy, over-indulgent and chatting about hundreds of topics over and over until they were discussed to death. Yukari never really disliked this form of female communication.

But when overhearing a familiar name, Yukari realized this wasn't just a bunch of arguing teenage females.

It was a godamn _fan-club_!

And it was _Akihiko-senpai's godamn fan-club_!

Often she would gossip to Fuuka or the other girls in the class about the cutest boy or who had the nicest hair/smile/eyes/_ass_, and that would be it. The conversation would end and life continued on. She completed homework and assignments, she went to Archery Club and chatted with Shinjiro about cooking or ironed her clothes or took a shower or walked Koro-chan with Minato - and Yukari went about her day without dwelling on any other human being, regardless of their physical attractiveness. That was _normal_.

Akihiko-senpai's fan-club was _so_ not normal.

They seemed to make the fact of her senpai's existence the very reason for their being. And she was sure, at some point, she overheard one of them confess their undying love for him.

They didn't even _know_ him.

"Okay, so we know he goes to Boxing Club tomorrow evening, we can intercept him afterwards," the girl with the long black hair tied back in a lazy ponytail began in a hushed tone, "his next match is in a few weeks, I'm thinking about getting some t-shirts made up. What do you think?"

"Can we get ones with a picture of his beautiful smile?"

"Can we get ones with his beautiful _ass_?"

Yukari nearly threw up her lunch. Poor Akihiko was getting perved on and he probably wasn't even aware of it. Those girls were planning to follow him after training, and while a huge part of her contemplated warning him, a smaller part of her wasn't sure how to.

The archer admitted to herself that she never really made much conversation with her quiet senpai; but she knew him to be disgracefully awkward and she found that she didn't make much effort to talk to him because of that. With that in mind, what would she say?

Hey Akihiko-senpai, did you know there's a group of girls who want a t-shirt print of your ass?

Somehow, she didn't think that would be the best approach.

For all her sneering of the group of perverts, Yukari quietly accepted that they, like her, didn't really know the senior. While she lived with him and understood him to be a protien-shake drinking adrenaline junky, other than that she had no clue about who he really was or how he really felt about anything. He... enjoyed combat, and danced around most opponents. He was week against ice attacks, and had a lot of stamina... but what the hell else?

Who were his parents? Did he even _have_ parents? How did he meet Shinjiro? When did he and Mitsuru-senpai meet? Was he always into boxing, or did something trigger it? What was his middle name? What was his favourite food? Did he watch much TV, or read any books? Did he have any interests other than boxing? How many trophies did he own?

In fact, as much as she hated to admit it, the group of girls who planned to follow him home tomorrow probably knew more about him than Yukari did. And that irked her, because she was fond of Akihiko and she felt a strange sort of sadness to know that she never invested any time in talking to him.

"Did you see? He was wearing a muscle-shirt going in to Boxing last week!"

"What? And I missed it! Mr. Ekoda kept me back after class and _I missed it!_"

"You really did miss it. It was glorious, he is absolute perfection."

They all sighed in unison; Yukari felt like it would be a good time to leave the library before she smashed one of them in the back of the head with her history book. Standing to pack her books back in her bag with more force than absolutely necessary, she swung the satchel over her shoulder and quietly brushed passed the girls; the one with the lazy pony-tail locked eyes with her as she made her way to the door, her brow furrowing as if she recognised her.

Knowing how much they followed her senpai around; they were probably aware that she lived in the same dorm as him, and she suddenly became nervous that she would become a target for them.

The last thing Yukari wanted was a fight with a group of Akihiko-crazed girls. They probably knew boxing.

Studying in the library with that kind of chatter was a total waste of time, and as the anger rose in her throat at the audacity of them, Yukari picked up her pace, her soft kid shoes stomping against the floor.

The nerve of those girls to think they could follow him around like that. Surely there were laws against that kind of thing?! Yukari had half a mind to report them, knowing that they were targeting someone as gentle and quiet and unassuming as Akihiko was the equivalent of taking advantage of him! And she was sure, even if he was made aware of the situation, he probably wouldn't do anything about it. Akihiko-senpai didn't know how to assert his authority as a senior, let alone talk down a group of love-sick girls. It would be a disaster if he knew, making him even more uncomfortable around people and the danger of it affecting his school life was something Yukari wouldn't be able to stand for.

So what was she to do? Let it continue, and let those idiot girls take advantage of him, or tell him and let him retreat even further in to his shell?

Terrifyingly, she thought about telling Mitsuru.

But that would be an extreme measure.

Or... she could stop them herself. It made her a target for their hate, but it was better than having them walk around with t-shirts with pictures of Akihiko's ass plastered all over them.

What the hell was their obsession with him anyway? They could at least make the effort to talk to him for more than a few seconds... though Yukari silently wondered if even Akihiko was capable of long conversation. Blunt, brutally honest responses aside, she admitted that even she didn't speak to him much to know and with that in mind Yukari vowed to ask him about his day when she got to the dorm.

Partially because she wanted leverage over those perverted girls, mostly because she was guilty about having never taken interest in him.

* * *

**Author's notes:** Next chapter, a look over the other side of the fence!


	2. And Perverts

**Author's Notes:** Welcome back. Onwards to Chapter 2.

I like to flit between characters as I write because it helps me keep everyone on track with how they feel, and sometimes people don't always _say_ how they feel so while someone might seem to act a certain way, maybe they're actually thinking something else.

Hopefully it won't get too confusing, and I'm pretty strict about ONLY going between Akihiko and Yukari.

* * *

Akihiko usually tried not to skip classes for training, but knowing how near they were to the next full moon was starting to weigh on his mind. As he stepped under the warm spray of the shower in the school's gymnasium, he let out a sigh of relief; all that tension from training washing away with the sweat from a long work-out session.

Minato kept them trained well, but sometimes Akihiko just couldn't sit still for long enough knowing that they were close to their next battle; and with his already high grades in most of his subjects he felt sure he would make up for the missed lecture. Better than sitting there all jittery and not being able to focus; taking the strain out on a speed-bag was so much more rewarding.

Turning off the shower to towel himself dry, he paused at the wide expanse of scarring over his sternum with a wince. It still hurt like hell and his rib wasn't dong great either. They were leery at the hospital; he just said he'd been mugged and left them to guess because that was easier than explaining why it looked like he'd been clawed by a lion. Patting the pink scarring dry, his skin crawled when he heard the locker room door creaking open and banging shut.

It was foolish to be so jittery, knowing he was in a stall and no one could see him but the last thing he needed was more people asking about the scar. He really was a terrible liar, and he could already imagine what kind of gossip would spread as a result if someone saw and he couldn't explain himself. The doctors had luckily called Officer Kurosawa when he told them he'd been "mugged", but he doubted the students in the school would be so forgiving.

The boys who entered were talking loudly, slamming the steel locker doors shut and laughing obnoxiously... and it was so blissfully quiet before they came in.

"This year," one of them announced, "I'm going to make her mine!"

The laughter continued for a while, the obnoxious one's friends egging him on. Rolling his eyes, he thought about how much he detested lock-room bravado and wished to whatever deity existed that they would quiet down. Akihiko was about to zone them out until he heard one of them proclaim his love for a familiar girl-

"Yukari, you have alluded me for long enough! I think it's high-time I asked that beautiful junior out on a date,"

"Hey, c'mon man, leave some for the rest of us,"

"Not a chance, Yukari Takeba is mine, and I won't settle for anyone less!"

If it were anyone else they were talking about, Akihiko would have had no problem drowning out their guffawing chatter, but this was Yukari-chan they were announcing to stake claim to, and that would just not do. He thought about going out to warn them that she was having a thing (_whatever the hell it was_) with Minato and wasn't free for a date, but when he thought about if for a little while longer he wasn't sure. Going solely by Junpei's word about their relationship, _really_, wasn't a very smart thing to do, because Junpei made a lot of assumptions without knowing the whole truth.

"She's got Archery Club tomorrow evening, I think I may just go to watch,"

"Mind if I tag along?"

"It ain't a dictatorship here, you go where you want,"

Were they... going to follow her to Archery Club? Being attracted to the girl was fine but-

"Man," the obnoxious one started again, "watching her use that bow in that little skirt gives me the scratch,"

"Yeah it's a shame the Culture Festival was cancelled, I heard she picked the short straw and was going to wear a maid outfit for the day,"

"Yeah, I heard that. I put in like 10 complaints to the student council but that Mitsuru-bitch wouldn't arrange a later date. What I wouldn't give to see Yukari in a maid's outfit-"

"What I wouldn't give to have her _serve_ me in a maid's outfit,"

_Creeps_, Akihiko thought as they started laughing again, _utter creeps._ He wondered if Yukari was aware that this pack of idiots were following her around, perving on her. It would be right to tell her, but a wave of apprehension washed over him at the thought. What would he say without freaking her out? What if she didn't know and it frightened her?

His throat closed up at the thought, his mind blank.

_I'm an idiot_, he thought dismally, _I get tongue-tied just thinking about saying it_.

"Guys, I got it all planned out. I'm gonna bump into her on her way back to her dorm and get her all flustered. Once she's scrambling to pick up her things and put them back in her bag (and maybe I can get a nice look down her top in the process) I'll be a gentleman and apologise by inviting her out for dinner,"

"Maybe you can get her drunk and bring her to Club Escapde,"

"Nah, she's a good girl, she doesn't do under-age drinking,"

"Yeah, but all good girls have a wild side, right? Who's to say she doesn't?"

"Oh I _bet_ she does, but I ain't gonna get her drunk, what if she doesn't remember our date...?"

Shoving on his pants and shifting his shirt over his shoulders, he stepped a little closer to the door as the conversation outside slowly got lewder and lewder. He had to see them, he had to know their faces in case they tried anything on Yukari; Akihiko wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing that the pack of idiots out there could potentially hurt her. While he was aware that boys were boys and they talked like big-men around each other, when confronted with the object of their affections they lost a lot of that bravado... but what if these guys didn't?

What if they really walked their talk?

Grabbing his gym-bag and fixing his gloves in to place, he stepped out of the stall and casually pushed it closed, his superior height filling the space from floor to ceiling to cut an imposing figure. The seniors in front swivelled around to look at him; Akihiko recognised their ring-leader but didn't know him by name. He was average-looking, forgettable at a glance, with short brown hair and a deep under-bite, brown eyes locked on his for a moment, surprised, then apprehensive-

Hoisting his bag over his shoulder, Akihiko continued to watch them, and they him, as he exited through the locker-room door, closing it with a snap, hearing their chatter pick up again through the frame.

Committing their faces to memory, he decided he was going to keep an eye on them for the rest of the term. They could be perfectly harmless; just stupid boys gossiping about a girl they liked.

Or they could be dangerous in the "I don't take no for an answer" type of way.

And though Akihiko had faith in Takeba and her skill as both an archer and a Persona user, she was best suited to support and didn't do well with with clustered enemies.

He wanted to tell her, but just didn't have the words. Girls were... best handled with a kind of soft touch he just didn't have. Mitsuru didn't count, she took him at face-value because she knew him as he did her, their mutual friendship was based on that trust. But Yukari was... emotional and young and Akihiko just didn't know how to handle her. He could predict Mitsuru's reaction...

But he couldn't predict anything Takeba would do. What if she went crazy and beat a few of them up? What if she got scared and started crying... _oh god what if she started crying_?!

He grimaced, stepping out of the entrance to the school to head home. Lost in thought, he barely even noticed the group of girls rush over to ask him something (though all he heard was the angry buzzing of too many voices all talking at once) and brushed past them with ease, the chill of Autumn biting his skin through his clothes. It was jacket weather he noticed, wondering when the day summer ended was.

A huge part of him was eternally grateful the Culture Festival was cancelled and those creeps never got to fulfil their fantasy of seeing Takeba in a short, frilly dress. The older-brother in him he thought diminished when Miki died came roaring back as the urge to protect her overrode everything else.

He would make sure, because there was no one else who would or could, that those assholes would never get to lay a finger on Yukari (unless she explicitly asked). Despite the fights she had with Mitsuru and her dangerous curiosity, Akihiko really liked the girl. She was kind, had a good sense of humour and was pretty smart and level-headed in comparison to other girls in her generation. As well as being an excellent healer, she really did enjoy taking care of a lot of members in the group and Akihiko was more than grateful for the amount of times she saved his broken ass in Tartarus or when fighting a _shadow_ at the full moon.

The last thing he wanted was for anyone to inflict any pain on her. She was a nice kid, she didn't deserve that.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Fence visited, next we will get to some actual interaction!


	3. Real talk and Real Awkward

**Author's Notes:** Updated every Friday. I have been working like a dog these past few weeks and it is so relaxing sitting down to edit these chapters. I made a lot of changes to this one to make the conversation flow a little better. My first draft was much more awkwardly worded than this one so hopefully this flows together a little better.

Now for some actual interaction!

* * *

The wind picked up right before Yukari pushed the door open to the dormitory; it was going to be a blustery night. For all her complaining of the unbearable summer heat she missed it when faced with cold, rainy Autumn. Dumping her bag on the counter with a sigh, she realized no-one was in the common-room...

Except Akihiko. _Perfect_, she thought, eyeing him at the table with a magazine in his hand and a few books strewn about (like he was about to start or had just finished homework).

Making a show of carefully placing her bag on the couch and arranging the straps, her face filled up with blood when she realized she didn't really know what to say. _How was your day_, she supposed, mimicking Fuuka's usual greeting in her head. Or _where the hell is everyone and why aren't they here to act as a buffer between us because I don't think I've said more than two or three words to you since I moved in here_? That would probably suffice.

"Oh, hey... didn't see you there," _real smooth Takeba, real smooth_, "... where is everyone?"

Akihiko, previously intent on an article, folded up his magazine and put it to the side, reaching across to open up the selected novel for his Grammar class, "Minato isn't back yet and I think Mitsuru is at Fencing training. Junpei, Aigis and Ken are bringing Koromaru for a walk and Shinjiro is up in his room."

At least _someone_ was well informed. Since Junpei was targeted by Strega, Mitsuru kept a tight schedule around the dorm to avoid such mishaps in the future. Everyone had to let someone know where they were going if going alone, what time they intended on being home at and had to keep their phones on at all times. It seemed to go-to person today was Akihiko, probably because he was stuck in the dorm with a mountain of homework.

Not able to shake the feeling of dread at the thought of talking to Akihiko and simultaneously coming across like an idiot, she walked around the opposite side of the table to the bar to get herself a drink, her mouth suddenly dry. _What the hell am I so afraid of_? She supposed it was because, even though Akihiko couldn't be a year or two older than her, he was a senior and as such - her senpai - and she had to show him a level of respect that people her own age didn't get. That and he had a refined air about him that was more than a little intimidating.

Rather like Mitsuru.

Steeling herself by clenching her fingers around her glass of water, she marched up to the table, yanked out the chair beside her senpai and sat herself down hard.

"So... how was your day?"

She didn't expect much of a response, but as he lifted his eyes from the book in front of him to politely return her gaze, she felt more at ease. Akihiko didn't think she was an idiot, she never gave him reason to. He was a nice guy, he wouldn't just brush her off.

Shrugging, he gestured with the pen in his hand, "Nothing special, how about you?"

Yukari wanted to tell him about that group of girls, she really did, but she couldn't gauge his reaction. She wondered if he even knew, if he even noticed that his feminine stalkers were plotting to embarrass the hell out of him. It would be a good page to start on because it was something they both shared, even if involuntarily so. Regardless...

What the hell was she going to say?

"It was okay... just... there are some pretty strange people in our school huh?"

Did he even notice them? The boxer rose a thin brow and shrugged; "There are some pretty strange people everywhere," he said, "Why? Did something happen?"

Maybe it would be a bad idea to tell him; maybe he didn't let it bother him or maybe he just shrugged it off and let it happen because talking down a group of love-sick girls was bothersome. Maybe it would be best to just drop the subject and assume he would be fine, even though the thought ate away at her because _maybe he really didn't know_.

"No nothing... happened, not to me anyway. I guess..."

Jeeze he was hard to talk to. What would he say if she told him? How would he react? What if he didn't know?

Chewing on her thumbnail, she looked up to see what little colour drain out of Akihiko's face. He barely leaned in, "Did someone approach you?"

Frustrated, Yukari stood, the legs of the chair squeaking against the tiles of the kitchen floor. She started pacing, wishing she could go back a couple of sentences and just erase what she said. He was probably thinking about Strega; hell everyone was on edge since Junpei was taken. What she was talking about wasn't so serious, just... _delicate_.

"I was just... in the library today and there was this moronic group of girls... and... just... _ugh._"

She couldn't tell him, it would do way more harm than good if he knew. He would spend the rest of the year watching his back to make sure those girls weren't perving on him at every step; what if his grades slipped? What if one of them did something to him (like took a picture of his ass and printed it on a godamned t-shirt) to embarrass him for the rest of the school year? He wouldn't be able to leave the dorm!

"Yukari, sit down."

Obediently, she sat down, her head hanging in shame. This was so not how she wanted it to go; she just wanted to ask him about how he was, and it turned into a conversation about a problem she was having. Usually she was so articulate, so open and friendly. She could talk to anyone and Akihiko was _no_ exception. Yukari felt stupid; utterly, utterly-

"Do you need someone to talk to, Yukari?"

"No, no," she could still save it, "really I'm fine. I just get really frustrated knowing that I share a gender with those... with people like _that_. Girls are really weird sometimes."

She heard - or at least she thought she heard - Akihiko let out a short sigh of relief, "Heh, yeah, girls can be pretty weird sometimes..."

She supposed... she could kind of see what those girls saw in her senpai as she looked up from the floor to Akihiko's face. He was... pretty handsome. And the expression he was wearing had nothing but worry, which she presumed was reserved for her since her short outburst at the table. His features were perfectly symmetrical and pointed like he came from a rich family, and his eyes were the palest grey she'd ever _seen_-

"Uh... Yukari, are you okay? Your face is red," he said, backing up in his chair and raising his palms defensively, "You're not sick are you?"

Embarrassed, flustered, Yukari stood quickly out of her chair, "You know, I think I am coming down with something. Come to think of it I've been feeling a little under the weather for a few days now, it must be the change of temperature in the air. I think I'm going to go upstairs and take an early night-"

Rambling and nearly running for her school bag, Yukari rushed upstairs without even a backwards glance, and if Akihiko didn't think she was crazy before he probably thought it now. _Stupid, stupid stupid_, she thought as her foot met every step, nearly bowling Shinjiro over in the second floor hallway in her haste to get away. A flurry of swear-words followed her up the stairs but she couldn't stop, not until she pushed her door open and slammed it behind her, her heart hammering and her face boiling hot.

Her bag dropped to the ground, she wobbled unsteadily to her mirror and groaned when she saw just how red her face truly was.

Did she really just think that? Did she really just think that her _senpai_ was handsome?

Flopping down on her bed, Yukari furiously rubbed her face in her hands, trying to rid herself of the thought but it wouldn't budge. She was no better than those girls in the library, fawning and swooning around him like women in bad romance novels.

There was no point in denying it; the thought was there and the more she tried to push it away, the deeper it burrowed until it was all she could think about. _Akihiko-senpai was handsome_. He was smart, kind and pretty damn good-looking and of all the moments for her to realize it, it had to be right in front of him. So determined she was to talk to him that she didn't even think about _him_ as a person, couldn't even picture his face until it was too late and she was already reeling over the smooth perfection of his skin and the pale, pale grey of his eyes.

She foolishly made the conversation about her, so when she finally came out of her own feelings to talk to him, she looked at him, _really looked at him_, for the first time and found him to be just _so_...

Those girls were right; he was absolute perfection.

Yukari groaned loudly and turned herself over in her bed. With this new revelation, there was no way in hell she would be able to talk to him again without turning into a human tomato. He wasn't even mildly good-looking like Minato, or adorably annoying like Junpei, Akihiko was just bloody beautiful. Aristocratic, gentle and polite with just the right height, build and complexion and it was no wonder half the female population in the school had the hotts for him.

Now what was she going to do?!

Was that a question she was even willing to answer? She guessed she could just stay on the same course and try and get those girls to back-off and leave Akihiko-senpai alone, but that would mean spending a lot more time around him, and she wasn't sure if she could.

_I could just go down and apologise for being such a weirdo_... was the thought that followed.

After all, Yukari was well aware that she could talk to pretty much anyone else in the school; if she was able to calm herself down for a few moments, she would totally be able to hold a proper conversation with her quiet senpai, even if she did think he was the most beautiful thing to walk the earth. As much as she didn't want to embarrass herself, avoiding him forever was not the answer, and Yukari didn't want any tension within the group, especially not with their best assault member.

And she definitely didn't want those girls annoying or embarrassing him - if anything her resolve strengthened even further.

Yukari decided that she would keep on track and try to keep those girls from perving on her senpai... and if she got a chance, apologize for more than likely freaking Akihiko out. She made him worry about her for utterly no reason, and through the haze of tortured embarrassment, she felt terribly guilty.

Besides, she talked to plenty of people in the school, she could totally save face from what happened downstairs if she were to talk to Akihiko again.

* * *

"What the fuck was that?" Shinjiro spat; Akihiko dropped his pen out of sheer surprise, "Yukari-chan nearly kicked me down the fucking stairs! What the fuck did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" The boxer cried, "We were sitting here talking and she just jumped up like she got electrocuted and ran up the stairs,"

Shinjiro pushed up the hem of his hat to pinch the bridge of his nose and let out a long, exasperated sigh, "I swear, when you're around girls you just make them turn insane. What did you say? Am I going to have to go up there and make sure she's not emotionally scarred for life?!"

Hanging his head miserably, Akihiko looked at the table-cloth and tried to figure out why she bolted up the stairs without even looking back. He was so convinced that she was trying to tell him those assholes in the locker-room did something to her, and so relieved when it turned out it was nothing like that. Did he say something to give himself away? He was sure he didn't.

Maybe she really was sick and she just didn't want him to catch anything. That seemed like her, Yukari thought about people like that.

Akihiko just shrugged, "I dunno, girls are really weird sometimes..."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Next time, Yukari formulates a dastardly plan!


	4. Crushes and Thugs

**Author's Notes:** I know this is late and I'm very sorry, it's just been a crazy week but good things are happening! Yay! I was play-testing for a start-up company and working my shitty job in the evenings so I had little time that wasn't eating or sleeping, so sorry again.

* * *

Yukari followed Akihiko-senpai's fans around for a good week and a half before deciding enough was enough.

What she witnessed had to be the most deplorable, disgusting acts of female obsession in the history of human kind. The girls were relentless in their task – see as much of Akihiko as humanly possible.

Mostly, he ignored them, either too engrossed in his day-to-day activities or too lost in thought to fully communicate with them. The rest of the time he brushed them off, saying he was busy and had something to do, and even though they pouted prettily (one of them even ran away crying) and begged for him to talk to them, Akihiko-senpai really was busy. When he wasn't going to class or arranging the boxing team, he was training, eating or sleeping. He rarely had a moment to spare, something she hoped the girls would, in time, come to understand but of course that seemed beyond reason for the more hardcore Akihiko-crazed fans.

And still they continued on, gossiping about him behind their hands, dropping books whenever he walked past in the hopes that he would stop to help them, or feigning a swoon.

She even saw two girls get in to a punching match in front of him. It was possibly the saddest thing she'd ever seen.

The worst thing was, she couldn't tell if it actually bothered Akihiko-senpai or not. While he mostly seemed oblivious to it, there were times when one or two of them would rush up to speak to him (and they would ask him out for a date, or make lewd suggestions about what he saw in women, or men) and he would just grimace and try to get away from them as fast as he could. It didn't look like it affected him that much, but those times, Yukari really wanted to hit those girls.

So he was either blind, or stupid.

Yukari was going to go with stupid. No man would put up with half that crap (or turn down as many dates) unless they were completely unaware of it.

It was a little sad, she thought. With someone as gentle and kind and handsome as Akihiko, he could have his pick of any of the multitude of girls that invaded his space on a day-to-day basis. They didn't lack for variety, and a small handful of them were the best looking girls in the school.

And it wasn't just women; while she was tailing the girl with the pony-tail (who was following Akihiko to the gym), he was stopped a total of three times, the first time by an incredibly beautiful older woman and the second and third times by men - just to be propositioned. The first guy called him "gorgeous-san" and asked if he could buy him a drink (Akihiko politely declined, he didn't drink) and the second one tried to grab Akihiko's ass as he walked past, but was thwarted by a swift block with the boxer's forearm and got a punch right in the jaw.

Knocked him clean out. Unaffected, the senior classman continued on his journey, muttering something about how the guy nearly got his wallet.

That wasn't to say he wasn't gay, but at that point Yukari didn't think he even had a sexuality.'

It was also getting increasingly difficult to keep denying that Akihiko-senpai was_ more_ than a little attractive, and that occasionally when checking to see if those girls were following him she stole a moment for herself. There really was no sense in making it taboo, especially when it was just so... easy to see how beautiful Akihiko was; and no one had to know about her budding crush on him either.

There was something about the cool confidence in the way he carried himself-

And the occasional half-smile-

That Yukari finally started admitting that her plan was started to be more about her and less and less about protecting him, and if anything that strengthened her resolve even further.

Because as much as she hated to admit it, she was essentially a jealous person and the thoughts of others trying to take what she was vaguely wanting made her furious.

Working up the courage to smack some sense into those girls steadily got more and more difficult. Especially when, one afternoon, the girl with the pony-tail sat a little too close next to Yukari at lunch and started asking her questions in the most passive aggressive way.

"Hey, you live in Akihiko-senpai's dorm, right? Aren't you Yukari Takeba?"

Yukari gently lowered her book on to her lap, ready to bring it down on to the girl's head should she try anything, "... Yes? I am."

It seemed she didn't just like invading Akihiko's personal space, she was right up in Yukari's like she wanted to get _inside_ her, and if that thought didn't creep the hell out of her nothing would. Her sickly sweet smile and invasive perfume was enough to make Yukari's face wrinkle, suddenly not caring about polite company and proper manners.

"That's strange, I heard Mitsuru Kirijo and Minato Arisato live there too... lots of popular people in that dorm," she laughed her too high, too fake laugh and Yukari knew the only reason the girl had that much information was because she was a crazy stalker, "I wonder if I could transfer-"

"All the rooms are taken," Yukari cut across her, and her smile faltered for a scary moment before it was plastered back on again.

"What I wouldn't give to live with so many interesting people... like Akihiko-senpai for example. What's he like?"

Her incredibly thin ploy for information certainly wasn't lost on the intelligent Takeba, so she just shrugged and said, "I couldn't tell you, we don't talk all that much,"

It wasn't necessarily a lie, but she didn't want to give this girl even more ammunition than she already had. She tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear and pursed her lips together.

"So... I guess if something happened in the dorm, you would need to be able to contact each other, yes?"

Why Yukari wasn't beating the girl within an inch of her life, she didn't know. She guessed it was because, with all her followers the girl with the black pony-tail was the priestess of the temple of Akihiko-senpai, and that was a little intimidating. This girl could make Yukari's life hell and potentially get her beaten up, so she definitely didn't want to get on the wrong side of her.

"... What are you getting at?" For one horrifying moment, she thought maybe the girl was threatening to burn the dorm down.

"I'm just saying... maybe you have Akihiko-senpai's phone number..."

Yukari stood up at that point, furious. Who the hell did that girl think she was?! If she noticed Yukari's anger, she didn't show it, she simply continued like it was a perfectly normal conversation between two people.

"I'd be happy to repay you for your troubles-"

"Are you bribing me for a phone-number?!" The healer seethed, spitting the word _bribing_ as if it were a contagious disease, "You're out of your mind!"

Wrenching her bag off the seat and trying to ignore the faces that turned to see the commotion, Yukari vowed to give that girl a good piece of her mind the next time she saw her going anywhere near her senpai. If that meant hitting her in the head with a book, or tackling her to the ground to beat some sense into her, so be it.

The girl with the pony-tail looked positively murderous as Yukari marched past; she returned the glare, daring her to try anything.

* * *

Akihiko noticed a change in Yukari since she the night she felt ill.

It was almost as if she seemed much more determined in the way she carried herself, and he had to admit it was a welcome change, even if a small one. She had purpose to her walk, and seemed so much more focused during their exploits in Tartarus; their enemies could barely get a hit in without a wave of healing enveloping everyone, or a gust of wind ripping one particularly unlucky one to shreds.

He also realized he was seeing her around the school a lot more, which was another thing he was grateful for thanks to that pack of thugs vying for her affections. At least he could see her in his peripheral vision, feeling a little more than paranoid about her safety. He let Shinji know, so he had eyes and ears in much better places, and if anyone could truly look out for her safety, it would be Shinji.

His friend didn't seem too worried when he was asked, but Akihiko knew deep down Shinji cared.

He kept vigilant for most of the week, keeping his eye on the pack-leader and occasionally eavesdropping on their conversations; more than once Yukari's name was mentioned, but nothing too threatening was ever said. Akihiko could be wrong about them, but he felt no harm in being cautious.

Hanoi Keizo was his name, and after doing a little digging with Shinji he really didn't like the information he'd received. Keizo was a deadbeat, spent most of his time skipping classes; smoking pot and binge drinking down near the alleyways of Iwatodai with his friends. They didn't really do much more in the way of anti-social behaviour, but it had already sealed the deal with Akihiko. He didn't want that idiot near Yukari. Period.

That was until the guy with the underbite approached him after Boxing Club one evening. He couldn't believe he let his guard down for the barest second, so when the male suddenly appeared by his side he scared the crap out of the fighter.

"H-hey, you share a dorm with Yukari Takeba, don't you?"

Akihiko took a second to eye him up and asses his threat value. He was average build, a little weedy but he's been surprised by thin guys before in the ring; he could potentially be a lot stronger than he looked. There was nothing hostile in his presence though; his eyes were pleading and a little scared, he presumed because Akihiko didn't have a good reputation for talking.

No, no his reputation was for boxing. And that was something he did extremely well.

"Yeah, we live in the same dorm, why?"

Straight to the point, Akihiko hated dancing around the issue and just wanted everything laid out on the table. He could be asking for a homework assignment from her, of have something that belongs to her and want to return it, but somehow he doubted it.

"I... I uh, was just wondering if you know... does she have a boyfriend?"

"She's going out with Minato Arisato," he said simply, taking his bag out of his locker and shutting the door, turning his back on the slighter man to leave. While he wasn't absolutely sure she was in fact dating Minato, he was just going by what Junpei told him, and if that put the guy off at all, then it served its purpose.

"H-hey wait, can't you help a guy out?" He shakily grabbed onto Akihiko's shirt sleeve.

"Help you out with what?" He spat, shrugging Keizo's hand away from his shoulder, "She's with someone. What am I supposed to do about that?"

He didn't want anything else to do with the guy, he wanted to get as far away from him as possible because he was going to hit him and they were still on school property and that was the kind of shit that got you expelled. He didn't even know why he was so angry, on the outside it looked like a perfectly normal series of sentences, but he didn't want that creep anywhere near Yukari and knowing he wouldn't accept that she was with someone made Akihiko fear for her safety.

But he knew he was being an idiot, and even after Boxing he was still riled and angry and nothing would take him down, so he got changed in the dorm (checked with Aigis that Yukari was home and safe) and headed for the nearest gym, his fists shaking.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Next chapter is going to be quite difficult because I've revised it so many times and I'm still not entirely happy with it, so wish me luck that I'll think of something better before Friday.


	5. Smelly Alleyway

**Author's Notes:** Aaaaaand I'm back on track baby! Super pissed off with my current employment, but never mind that, let's get back to the sweet sweet stalking! Remember kids, when you're in a job you absolutely despise, fear not - you're stuck there so you might as well get used to it!

* * *

Yukari followed a few seconds after Akihiko left for the gym; luckily Minato gave them the evening off so she didn't have to worry about getting back before the Dark Hour. He called out for her to be careful, but she waved the comment off. Since the girl with the pony-tail intercepted her, she was really looking for an excuse to get her into a corner and warn her to keep away from her senpai.

A tiny part of her was jealous, knowing that these other girls were pining for his attention, but she knew that was foolish because he didn't pay them any mind.

She followed some paces behind, making it look like she was out for an evening stroll, stopping occasionally to look in a shop window or smell a basket of flowers. When he boarded the train to Iwotodai station, she got on the same cart but hid well in the back, next to a rather rotund family who served as an excellent cover. When he exited she nearly lost him in the crowd, but she noticed a small, familiar group of girls (one in particular who wore her hair in a lazily swept up pony-tail) in Iwotodai squeal then point and exclaim as they saw him, and start to trail behind, Akihiko obviously not even noticing them.

Were women not even on his radar? How did he notice if he was about to be attacked, but not notice that he was being stalked?!

Shaking her head, Yukari followed the girls following her senpai, and kept a good distance so they wouldn't notice, a plan formulating in her head.

The girl with the pony-tail was the leader; if she took her out the rest would back off, she was sure of it. That's how gangs worked, at least that's what she saw in a movie once. Either way, through the apprehension, Yukari felt eager to teach that girl a lesson.

They weaved into a less crowded area down a narrow urban street into an area she didn't recognize she could see the deep red of Akihiko's sweater way down the road, the girls behind him giggling and chatting amiably as if it was the most normal thing in the world to be stalking a guy on his normal routine. There were five girls, the one with the pony-tail was the tallest, and vaguely she remembered Minato showing her how to trip someone by kicking them in the back or the side of the knee; she could totally do that while they all had their backs turned.

Turning between two apartment buildings and down around the back of a hotel, Yukari just about caught sight of that girl's ponytail as she rounded another corner. The archer sped up, but as she turned the same corner, she couldn't see hide nor hair of the stalkers or of her senpai at all; choosing the alleyway to the right, her heart slowly started to work it's way into her throat when there was no sign of them there either... and it was starting to get dark.

_Crap..._

Yukari headed back the way she came... or the way she thought she came - and ended up even further in the maze of alleys than she initially thought. If she could just find the sign for that hotel she would know where she was...

She was totally lost in a place she didn't recognize, and it was getting dark out.

Stuck in a smelly deserted alleyway, Yukari put her hands on her knees to try and slow her breathing; she was starting to panic, and thinking that she just lost possibly the safest person to be with only made it worse.

_Stupid, I'm stupid_, she thought as she contemplated how stalking her senpai got her lost. She could tell herself her reasoning was to meet those girls and teach them a lesson, but when faced with her opponent, she found she faltered and became nervous. She bet Akihiko didn't get like that – he minced through his enemies like they were made of tissue. Yukari wished she were strong like that, wished she had that kind of resolve – to be able to take someone down-

Trekking on after she caught her breath, the healer told herself she's have to get out of the maze onto a street eventually and turned another corner to the back of a restaurant, stinking of old food and grease.

Up on the rampart ahead a small group of boys she vaguely recognised from school were smoking cigarettes and laughing at something the taller one said. _Ugh_: she really couldn't stand bad habits and under-age smoking was definitely one of them. Sometimes it was a little hard to believe she shared a school with some of them, though she supposed not everyone could be as squeaky clean as she was.

As she neared, the taller one caught her eye and quickly threw his smoke onto the ground, crushing it with his shoe like he didn't want her to see; but it wasn't like she was going to go running to the school board over some idiots she didn't even know.

"H-hey!" He waved, smoothing a hand over his face and making his way down the short ramp to her, "You're Yukari Takeba, right? What are you doing all the way down here?"

How... did he know her name?

She was sure she'd never met this boy before.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** There was always that one stoner kid in every school... or the stoner school with one regular kid. Did you know possession of marijuana in Japan can get you up to five years in prison?! It's SUPER frowned upon. The more you know.


End file.
